Our president, Bill Heller, was recently interviewed for a HealtheCareers article about improving your company culture. Check out a few of his tips for creating a positive atmosphere for employees to work.
Allow your people to drive the culture
Company culture is always changing — as is its definition. Heller explains that even five years ago, company culture came from leaders and was then adopted by teams throughout the business. That isn’t the case anymore.
“Employees are the good stewards of the culture, and they drive it on a day-to-day basis,” Heller says. “They help make this the kind of place where people really enjoy being at work.”
You cannot not communicate
One of the most important aspects of positive company culture is open communication, whether the news is good or bad. Heller says he worries more about not delivering bad news.
“I think employees will feel the tension, fill in the blanks themselves or see a news story,” he says. “Often, what they fill in is worse than reality.”
Heller notes that it’s also crucial for leaders to have regular one-on-ones with their employees, walk the floors and be available for anyone who needs to talk. He says there are few things he can’t share with all employees.
“The more people know about why we make decisions the way we do, the more they can help positively impact business,” Heller expresses.
Find out what you do well and what to improve
If you’re not already asking your clients to rate your customer service, you should be. When providers and even vendors you work with fill out surveys about your company, you get real-life input on how people really perceive it.
“Surveys offer lots of opportunities to get tangible feedback on how things are doing,” Heller says. “We believe our results are directly related to satisfaction — how we treat people.”
It’s equally important to ask your employees what they like about their jobs and what they wish was different.
“Retention is so important. That means establishing and nurturing those relationships so our employees really understand what a client needs,” Bill says. “You can’t be great at this job without understanding the nuances, peeking around the corners and grasping every little detail about the assignment.”
Check out the full HealtheCareers post for more suggestions from other healthcare leaders!
